“I loved him as a brother, and he will be greatly missed,” said Rick Points, one of the directors at Heritage Funeral Home. “It’s a lot of grief in this community. There was actually a dark shadow placed over Maury County when we got the news of his accident — him being on his way to work. I just talked with him last week, and so it’s just a shock.”

Signs of community support for Tennyson could be seen Monday all over Maury County.

Photo: WKRN

A blue ribbon decorated a large sign outside McDowell Elementary where Tennyson served as a school resource officer. Students and staff across the county wore blue to honor the deputy.

Several flags were also lowered to half-staff, including those outside the Maury County Sheriff’s Office where Tennyson had worked since 1990.

“He had built up hundreds of hours of vacation that he never took because he was so committed to this community, and to protect and to serve,” Points said.

With all that he had accomplished, Points said he estimates these will likely be the most attended services his funeral home has ever held.

“There will be possibly hundreds and hundreds of people coming to pay their respects to this great man,” Points said.

Photo: WKRN

Visitation for Tennyson began Monday at 3 p.m. and lasted until 8 p.m. at Heritage Funeral Home.

Another visitation will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at South Gate Church of Christ. A Celebration of Life funeral service will follow at 3 p.m.

Kim Doddridge, a spokesperson with Maury County Schools, said grief counselors were at McDowell Elementary on Monday.

According to Doddridge, a special ceremony honoring Deputy Tennyson is “in the works” but no details have been finalized.